How the CUPW strike affects your business

12/04/24 Update

On November 27, 2024, USPS announced that they would temporarily stop accepting Canada-bound shipments for any mail class, starting November 29, 2024, due to the ongoing CUPW strike. Other global postal carriers, including Australia Post, NZPost, and Royal Mail, have also temporarily halted acceptance of shipments to Canada as of November 27, 2024. Please be aware that shipments already in transit to Canada will be delayed. 

Regarding the CUPW strike, the situation is still developing. On December 1, 2024, Canada Post presented CUPW with a comprehensive framework in the hope of reaching negotiated agreements. There are no other updates at this time, however, we are committed to keeping you informed and supported, and continue to monitor the situation closely. 

On December 4, 2024, Purolator announced that they would temporarily stop accepting shipments to specific ZIP Codes due to the large influx of shipments during the CUPW strike. If you would like to understand exactly which ZIP Codes have been impacted, please reach out to our support team.

Effective Wednesday, December 4, 2024, UPS On-Call Pickup Requests for Domestic Standard shipments in Canada have been fully suspended until further notice.

Effective Friday, December 6, 2024, Sendle will require customers to enter package dimensions when creating a Sendle label in ShipStation. Sendle continues to accept packages with a destination of Canada at this time.

We understand these disruptions may affect your business and are here to support you while keeping you informed about these changes. Here are a few suggestions to help you navigate this time:

• Bookmark this blog or subscribe to our status page: Our team is actively monitoring these disruptions and will keep these pages updated to help you stay informed.
• Shipping to Canada: We offer a range of carrier options with Canadian service to support you during this time.
• Stay mindful of potential impacts: As shipping volumes increase and more shipments shift to other carriers, there may be potential delays, as well as the possibility of demand surcharges being implemented by those carriers.

On November 15th, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) began a national strike, resulting in a complete shutdown of Canada Post operations. No mail or parcels will be processed or delivered for the duration of the strike. While negotiations are ongoing, there is no clear end date in sight. If you’re concerned about how this may affect your peak-season shipping plans, keep reading to learn more and prevent further delays. 

Who is affected by the CUPW strike?

The strike notice is specific to Canada Post and affects all postage and parcels traveling through this carrier in urban, rural, and suburban areas around Canada. Packages already in transit through Canada Post will be delayed until the strike is resolved. Shipments only using Canada Post for last-mile delivery are also impacted. 

Holiday season shipping disruptions

While both parties have expressed interest in resolving the dispute, there is currently no definite end to the strike at this time. Delays may continue even after the strike ends as Canada Post works to catch up with the backlog. As a result, your holiday shipping schedule may be disrupted if proactive measures to avoid delays are not taken. 

I need to ship something before the holidays—what can I do?

Let’s say you run a T-shirt business and need to ship a batch of customized crew necks to a women’s chorus in Winnipeg ASAP. But, your go-to Canadian carrier is Canada Post. Thankfully, ShipStation connects to alternative carriers, offering competitive rates, so your shipment gets to the right place. 

ShipStation users can also take advantage of our new Automated Rate Shopper feature, which helps you choose the best carrier option, every time. For additional guidance, our support team is available to help customers navigate our carrier selection. 

See Rate Shopper in action:

Where can I get updates on the CUPW strike?

The ShipStation support team is available to provide updated information as the situation evolves. For more updates, keep a close eye on Canada Post’s negotiations updates and ShipStation’s notifications for the latest information.